Celebrated British Nigerian sculptor Yinka Shonibare is best known for his work exploring colonialism and post-colonialism within the context of globalization. Shonibare’s oeuvre examines race, class and the construction of cultural identity, through incisive commentary on the tangled interrelationship between Africa and Europe.
Catching up with Shonibare via video conferencing, he first wants to know a bit more about me. I explain that, like him, I was born in London and my family moved to Nigeria when I was an infant, before returning. We agree there are many similarities between our cultures, one being a huge emphasis on going into ‘The Professions’ – Medicine/Law/Science. I ask him, ‘How did your family react when you “came out” as an artist? How on Earth did you get away with it?’
